[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,98,110],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6236566,"mediaKeyId","3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b","parentId",3355872,"title","Main Street Lexington reports downtown gains in 2024; executive director to retire, successor named","audioSeconds",710,"startMs",1565000,"endMs",2275000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b&start=1565&end=2275","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b/thumbnail_1565000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6236566/Lexington/Rockbridge-County/Virginia/Main-Street-Lexington-reports-downtown-gains-in-2024-executive-director-to-retire-successor-named","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236566-09d12a7e1159b41b119f3e265a2dc82e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773640218&Signature=MdNSMR-mKxxmSBG2e4VFzlB0PCa4A5UNs-x9eHRp9sLjQApdqwMFAmigYGVuonlIjIn9qYvJ2lZapO7ePLDdDrPJKjF8szE71RaLY3fJeftGumb5MTXmaf5d0dumNxYykd7~9htb2HVyF1ZC7JoHfsFUqXPERK4jP4xeoTXNcVeksJ182WlAjHe9McV24QcpRl6~KW~Eju--JaV7Sv3BSMFpV9wqiBcJ6wM57Aw7KwLbT7UJZT8dZ5srIPGuawPJcxqMd8PHgJlVRq~lFIn4lXwPGmKMKrhlp-XoVRjmfIcD5xoqA6R-Rcjd0JB-yVWDNglpr7h0N~hZio5TQcdJbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lexington","date","2025-05-16T12:24:45Z","article","Lexington — Main Street Lexington presented a year‑in‑review for 2024 to the Lexington City Council on May 15, highlighting marketing and design programs, volunteer activities, and a planned courthouse grounds rehabilitation. Executive Director Rebecca Logan said she will retire next week and introduced Jeremy Franklin as her successor.

Logan told council the organization launched a wayfinding portal tied to a QR‑coded downtown map, collaborated with Washington and Lee student consulting teams to collect visitor and foot‑traffic data, and sold more than $60,000 in downtown gift certificates in 2024 that help keep local spending in the community. Logan said the gateway triangle garden redesign was followed by work to rehabilitate the courthouse grounds; she said Phase 1 will move the Veterans Memorial roughly 25 feet north to be directly in front of the courthouse and that funds for more than half of the project already have financial commitments. She also described façade/awning and signs grant activity and a spring “beauty blitz” volunteer cleanup that included middle‑school students.

Logan announced she will continue as project liaison for the courthouse grounds rehabilitation after her retirement and formally introduced Jeremy Franklin, who has worked with Main Street Lexington for nearly two years, as the incoming executive director. Council members thanked Logan for her service and welcomed Franklin.

Why it matters: Main Street Lexington’s programs support downtown retail, tourism, and placemaking through grants, marketing, volunteer projects and design work; the courthouse grounds rehabilitation is a multi‑phase project involving public and private partners with already committed funding for part of Phase 1.

Next steps: Main Street will continue fundraising and pursue three grant applications for the courthouse grounds project; Rebecca Logan will remain as project liaison and Jeremy Franklin will assume the executive director role.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lexington City Council: May 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Lexington — Main Street Lexington presented a year‑in‑review for 2024 to the Lexington City Council on May 15, highlighting marketing and design programs, volunteer activities, and a planned courthouse grounds rehabilitation.","taxTitle","Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia","taxId",56190,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6236571,"Council approves conditional use permit to expand hours, enrollment at downtown daycare",142,2825000,2967000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b&start=2825&end=2967","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b/thumbnail_2825000.jpg","/articles/6236571/Lexington/Rockbridge-County/Virginia/Council-approves-conditional-use-permit-to-expand-hours-enrollment-at-downtown-daycare","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236571-1accfd8a87fd2256fc8d7be63a35da3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773640218&Signature=Yh~FY5i1nkNfaMp0f3oAXoCz8vyo6AmrH9zOf6eERc1BFhD1lOow95pwt8zgeBdlxyVOeUi-FgrP4ojo7eEbB5u~YFE64p3lE4g4QjH5sea9wo5aL1L-U9sLG8VAG2uOjRSo7IJJn3O6UOcLKzaaUtBwBJ4ku6PI4NmlzuRfWJ7Q3x6sKt438ZITeqwvsPKyOrqDL3MAvewPhDuvmEdqQ2kXOSltsbEBdToxNsUEjzsm-iPFixaPqZ-1JfkCaxMG8mvBc1Dw1QnnZRfSu0WxIzQgTeB~lZT79K7dXjvKa7sLrQeyf1YGg5rnqEuM5b6Ibm08nhbp2XeagyaGoLsQyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lexington — The Lexington City Council voted unanimously May 15 to approve Conditional Use Permit CUP2025‑04, allowing a day care center at 123 West Washington Street to expand its hours and increase its maximum enrollment.

Planning Director Arnie told the council the site currently operates as a licensed day care and “are currently allowed to have 13 students, and they have limited operations from 9AM to 3PM.” The applicant requested hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a maximum of 20 students; planning staff included recommended conditions in the packet.

During the public hearing no members of the public spoke. A councilmember asked whether licensed day care centers are inspected by the Commonwealth of Virginia; the planning director and staff confirmed that the facility is subject to state licensing and inspection requirements. After brief discussion, a councilmember moved to approve CUP2025‑04 with the staff‑recommended conditions; on roll call the council recorded unanimous support and the mayor declared, “Motion carries unanimously.”

Why it matters: The CUP increases the permitted enrollment and operating hours for an existing licensed child‑care provider in downtown Lexington, potentially expanding child‑care availability during standard daytime hours. The approval is subject to the conditions listed in staff materials and to applicable state child‑care licensing and inspection rules.

Implementation: Staff will finalize the permit with the conditions approved by council and issue the revised conditional permit to the applicant. The planning director and the applicant were thanked by council for their work on the request.","The Lexington City Council unanimously approved Conditional Use Permit CUP2025‑04 allowing a day care at 123 West Washington Street to increase hours and student capacity from 13 to 20 under staff‑recommended conditions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6236576,"Lexington council weighs new design rules for mini‑warehouse storage; discussion continued to next meeting",0,4464000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b&start=4464&end=4464","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b/thumbnail_4464000.jpg","/articles/6236576/Lexington/Rockbridge-County/Virginia/Lexington-council-weighs-new-design-rules-for-miniwarehouse-storage-discussion-continued-to-next-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236576-f66e0589cc6f50ddf49c41981f958771/orig.mp4?Expires=1773640218&Signature=SPv9hb6vwtVArXRZe5jEQSwpXvOhLdtyTYuK8YC8L5vqmZ3U532-LOKlofPH346JEPGRb6Fz9F9620CEXOOZ1ITEguWwODkH1zi-MY9AJOOBFNI5Z7loUaFpZJ7UfxtG~Ngi~fhxhKlz~4DHAB2Did96NvX0KhLQZu1RZ678PR1lo~YiQ3lVovI5ehYswJpCm177jkObVyWocsDBhv8DPiL63l2NcW8RvVZwtkN6atA~Z2hUb~MImAmWvo3oK5AQLKF7sMW9B92ZMthb~diwz-pnYHVfTUWXHY6kKB765dY-QIsuKMS6dwxi55WrrtoX3kLl9d7F5QERfVZjw3OTww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lexington — City planners proposed new use and design standards for mini‑warehouse (self‑storage) facilities and asked the Lexington City Council whether the use should remain allowed as a conditional use in the C‑2 commercial zoning district.

The planning director told council that “currently, mini warehouses are only allowed in the C 2 Zoning District as a conditional use,” and that planning staff and the planning commission had developed proposed standards after reviewing examples and the city’s comprehensive plan. The planning commission recommended removing mini warehouses entirely from the ordinance; staff presented three options: do nothing, remove the use, or allow the use with the proposed design standards.

Council discussion focused on balancing neighborhood and corridor character with property‑owner rights and the city’s limited developable land. Councilmember Betts and other members said they were reluctant to eliminate the use outright given that property owners may have relied on it; several members said that a conditional use permit (CUP) process with stronger design requirements could protect entrance corridors while preserving development flexibility. One councilmember noted concerns that stringent materials and design rules could raise construction costs and make new facilities unaffordable.

Councilors cited examples of existing self‑storage facilities just outside the city limits and said mixed‑use approaches (storage combined with other uses) might be appropriate in some locations. No members of the public spoke during the hearing.

After discussion, council agreed to carry the item to the next meeting for further consideration without holding another public hearing, giving the planning commission and staff time to refine the proposed standards. The council did not adopt any ordinance language at the May 15 meeting.

Why it matters: Mini‑warehouse developments typically present single‑story buildings with many overhead doors and large, blank elevations. Councilors said design standards would shape how such facilities would appear on Lexington’s main entrance corridors along Routes 11 and 60, and that retaining a CUP requirement would allow public review of specific proposals.

Next steps: Staff will continue refining the draft use and design standards and return them to council for consideration at a future meeting so members can either adopt the standards, remove the use, or remand revisions to the planning commission.","City planning staff proposed new use and design standards for mini‑warehouse (self‑storage) facilities in the C‑2 district; planning commission recommended removal of the use but councilors favored keeping it as a conditional use with stricter standards and asked staff/planning commission to refine standards for a future vote.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6236556,"Blue Ridge Resource Authority approves FY26 budget, adopts CIP; no tipping fee increase for city",30,4131000,4161000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b&start=4131&end=4161","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b/thumbnail_4131000.jpg","/articles/6236556/Lexington/Rockbridge-County/Virginia/Blue-Ridge-Resource-Authority-approves-FY26-budget-adopts-CIP-no-tipping-fee-increase-for-city","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236556-9901fbced2c5ff995988a5ddb014e18b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773640218&Signature=EJqbG6nW5TnaZAMK4f3hJvK7zr39vrcjAlxfxYc9ugKUZt5FHa2l5lxyKe4xHUju-ci3gW7aEHQl5Rk-rLnsSpcv5tLs-iwzLn4VIv6-kJHOr7A24eQYM~zlgI-SbGy4gv4302WMAToJXCJYa4qcZtiWDtZXZ~LU3KmXlyTGMjS9lrHFuiyacEXZfC8PQL~BKaU0xAr2SIt3GGWLIej5XhbKuO9ZCbrMNkET--eEV7o1vFQaLmHBOAOr7aQzW5E04PQ50R~E6k9swloAgNbvga3zLOc49dgxXyzQzG4lKbyAWpwv7lcVBas75Q-UfD8HjdZyfUx9XRRcCsdNBlbWZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lexington — At the May 15 Lexington City Council meeting, Councilmember Smith reported that the Blue Ridge Resource Authority (BRRA) met May 12 and adopted its fiscal year 2026 budget and a 2026–2030 capital improvement plan.

Smith told council the adopted BRRA budget did not include an increase in general tipping fees, but that the authority did adopt increases to tire disposal fees. No further details on the amounts or schedule of tire fee changes were provided in the council meeting report; council members had no follow‑up questions at the May 15 meeting.

Why it matters: BRRA budgeting and fee decisions affect waste‑management costs for residents, contractors and the city; changes to tire disposal fees may affect local disposal costs and practices.

Next steps: City staff and the authority will implement fee changes per BRRA procedures; council did not take any action at the May 15 meeting beyond receiving the report.","Council received a report that the Blue Ridge Resource Authority adopted its fiscal 2026 budget and a 2026–2030 capital improvement plan at its recent meeting; the authority adopted tire fee increases but did not raise general tipping fees.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6236561,"Council directs city attorney to draft proposed update to door‑to‑door sales ordinance",116,5237000,5353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b&start=5237&end=5353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3355872-9b076f47f5264ddf31fe3ec6ed939b1b/thumbnail_5237000.jpg","/articles/6236561/Lexington/Rockbridge-County/Virginia/Council-directs-city-attorney-to-draft-proposed-update-to-doortodoor-sales-ordinance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6236561-f8f757cd06be7b9b388c08ff69e5d5f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1773640218&Signature=C7NdG~og5w8YlBJwsu6901T6rcqe5EN867B7wnixoAvQajHNlA6dDDEux29hkTEP5omKWAeChDvIJU1cmW92y979Iz3fuHNOrIIzV~ann9C2z7qGEpQOniAPso6KEf72cZFtkNHXp4ECJbNDhI3l7wkZDJskom9vrvJULHAHxSe0O~DCY0qRvH~heT-X~3p24-8Mj9BB~q0aCcfXH7SK-t-5Xp~rFu0syqk3yybHECBk-IDTAKdJ1xj2QirCIh8eBa8uZKap1Vf5IaBGp8dYcuT~tAz1fH4JzBz6QBA8Q4vk0zqY9WYbQlJ8Tnv6UuzCz78mBrAVCqKdGba0zo0lKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lexington — Lexington City Councilors asked the city attorney May 15 to draft proposed amendments to the city’s door‑to‑door sales ordinance so council can determine whether a work session or a brief review would be sufficient.

Councilmember Betts raised the topic and said he believed the current ordinance is “pretty restrictive” and that at least one entity has expressed interest in conducting door‑to‑door sales in town. The mayor asked whether the city attorney could prepare draft language before scheduling a broader council work session; the city attorney indicated she would draft a proposal for council review.

Council discussion ended with no formal motion or roll‑call vote; the mayor asked the city attorney to prepare proposed changes and the council did not object. The council did not adopt any ordinance language on May 15.

Why it matters: Door‑to‑door sales ordinances affect commercial solicitation, resident privacy, and local business practices. Councilmembers said they wanted to ensure the city’s rules align with local expectations and any prospective vendors’ plans before deciding whether to revise policy.

Next steps: City attorney will prepare draft ordinance language for council review; council will decide whether to hold a work session or review the draft at a regular meeting.","Councilmembers requested a review and possible update of Lexington’s door‑to‑door sales rules; the city attorney was asked to prepare draft language for council review and to recommend whether a work session will be necessary.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Main Street Lexington reports downtown gains in 2024; executive director to retire, successor named

Council approves conditional use permit to expand hours, enrollment at downtown daycare

Lexington council weighs new design rules for mini‑warehouse storage; discussion continued to next meeting

Blue Ridge Resource Authority approves FY26 budget, adopts CIP; no tipping fee increase for city

Council directs city attorney to draft proposed update to door‑to‑door sales ordinance